FAFSA Day MA Challenge Scholarship Winners for 2019-20

Join us in celebrating the winners of the third annual FAFSA Day MA Challenge! A statewide campaign, the FAFSA Day MA Challenge is dedicated to increasing the percentage of Massachusetts high school seniors who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in a given year. The FAFSA is an essential financial aid application for students to access federal, state, and institutional aid to help cover college costs. 

Students are incentivized to complete the FAFSA with the chance to win a $750 college scholarship. The FAFSA Day MA committee created and administers the challenge, and offers support by organizing FAFSA Day events across the state, where students and their families can receive help completing the FAFSA. The committee is proudly led by tri-chairs Amy Staffier (Simmons University), Jennifer Bento-Pinyoun (MEFA), and myself, Jan Combs (Bright Horizons College Coach). As well, the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA), American Student Assistance (ASA), the MA Office of Student Financial Aid Assistance (OSFA), and MEFA provide support on this very important endeavor!  

A $750 scholarship was awarded to the winning school in each of three categories. Each school awarded the scholarship to one high school senior. Hats off to our 2020 winning schools for a job well done:

Highest overall FAFSA completion percentage through May 15, 2020 for a small school (less than 250 seniors)

Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School: 100% completion

Highest overall FAFSA completion percentage through May 15, 2020 for a large school (more than 250 seniors)

Central Catholic High School: 93% completion

Most improved FAFSA completion percentage (compared to May 2019) through May 15, 2020

Brockton High School: an increase of 47% completion

Congratulations and great job to our winners! Stay tuned for details here on the FAFSA Challenge 2020-21 and here for upcoming FAFSA DAY MA information.

Jan Marie Combs has significant experience in financial aid at both the graduate and undergraduate levels having served as an Assistant Director at Boston University and as the Director of Financial Aid at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Jan also spent six years as a high school counselor, most recently counseling students at Southeastern Regional Voc Tech High School. Jan has been a long-serving ambassador for MEFA, where she facilitates educational programs on admissions and financial aid at MA high schools. She is a member of the MA Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and serves as Tri-Chair of FAFSA Day. Jan is currently a Senior Manager at Bright Horizons Education and College Advising. She holds a Bachelor of Science in political science from Boston University and a Master of Education from Cambridge College.